Improvement in ether-meters for refrigerating-machines



J. SIDDELEY & F. N. M'ACKAY. Ether Meter for Refrigerating Machines.

No. 208,645. Patnted Sept. 17,1878.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFF-ICE.

JOHN SIDDELEY AND FREDERICK N. MAGKAY, OF LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND.

IMPROVEMENT IN ETHER-METERS FOR REFRIGERATING-MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 208,045, datedSeptember 17, 1878; application filed May 20, 1878; patented in England,January 20, 1869.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN SIDDELEY and FREDERICK NOEL MAcKAY, both ofLiverpool, in the county of Lancaster, England, have invented a new anduseful Improvement in Ether Meters or Regulators for BefrigeratingMachines, for which English Patent No. 17 8 of 1869 was granted to us,and of which the following is a specification:

The object of this invention is to provide apparatus or appliances whichshall act automatically to regulate or control the supply of liquidether passing from the condenser to the evaporating or vacuum chamber orchambers of refrigerating-machines, so as to allow the said liquidether, as fast as it is condensed, to flow into the said evaporating orvacuum chamber or chambers, and yet prevent a partial vacuum from beingformed in the condenser.

For the above purpose we employ, in combination, a valve or valves,opening with the pressure and toward the said evaporating or vacuumchamber or chambers, and a float or floats connected together by a leveror levers. The said float or floats is or are placed in a chamber orchambers into which the liquid ether flows from the condenser orcondensers. The said liquid ether, as it flows into the said chamber orchambers, acts on the float or floats so as to open the valve or valvesand allow' part of the said liquid ether to flow into the evaporating orvacuum chamber or chambers.

The accompanying drawing is a sectional elevation, showing one way ofconstructing our improved apparatus or appliances.

a is a pipe leading from the condenser to the vessel b, which containsthe float 0, here formed of a hollow metal ball. (1 is a passage, closedby the valve c, leading to the evaporating or vacuum chamber. The floatc and valve 6 are connected together by the lever f, working on thefulcrum g. The lever f is shown provided with a-sliding weight, h,whereby the height of the liquid ether in I) necessary to raise thefloat c and operate the valve 6 may be adjusted.

It will be obvious that the passage from the condenser to theevaporating or vacuum chamber will always be closed by the presence ofthe liquid ether in the vessel b, and that all the liquid ether beyondthe quantity necessary to seal the passage will flow past the valve 6into the evaporating or vacuum chamber.

It is also obvious that, as the valve 6 opens.

pressure on the valve, will overbalance the weight and permit the valveto open; and as the accretion of the liquid ether in the chamber!) isgradual, the supply to the vacuumchamber is in like manner gradual andcontinuous, it flowing in a steady stream, and not in a spasmodic orintermittent way. This is demonstrated daily in the machines we now havein use, the valve never closing during the operation of the machine, butaccommodating the size of the opening exactly to the size of the streamof liquid ether flowing through it, and thereby completely sealing thepassage and preventing the formation of a partial vacuum in thecondenser. It also prevents the hammering and jarring of the valveseatand valve, and the consequent wear and imperfect operation of themachine.

It is also obvious that the explosions produced by excessive or unduepressure in the condenser, which are matters of known and notinfrequent, occurrence, cannot take place in our machine, because anysuch pressure in the condenser is immediately relieved by the opening ofthe valve thereunder.

In other known constructions of ice-machines this danger is alwayspresent, because such pressure closes the valve or cock, as the case maybe, and prevents the relief of the condenser.

c' is a gage-glass, showing the height of the liquid ether in the vessel1). k is a cock and pipe leading to the evaporating or vacuum chamberwhich is opened when it is desired chamber or pipe a weighted lever anda float to remove by evaporation all the ether from attached thereto,substantially as and for the the vessel 1). purposes hereinbefore setforth.

What We o1aimis-- J OHN SIDDELEY. In a meter for automaticallyregulating the FREDK. N. MAGKAY. flow of the refrigerant inrefrigerating-ma Witnesses: chines, the combination of a valve openingJ. KING, with the pressure and seated in the vacuum- J. JOHNSON.

